Rebecca StubbsExplorer

Snow Canyon is only 15 minutes from St. George, Utah and has so many neat areas to explore. A favorite of mine is to climb around on the petrified dunes. These are located in the middle of the park right off of the road. There is a trail leading from the parking lot for about 1,000 feet to the dunes. Once you reach the petrified dunes, there is no established trail; which leaves you free to wan...

This short hike cannot be reached from the main area of Bryce Canyon, but with a 15 minute drive from the main entrance you can access this less crowded portion of the park. Check out a park map for the directions. This is very family-friendly, and is actually more of a "walk" than a "hike."It is just over 1 mile out-and-back to a cave (rocky overhang) that drips water continuously throughout t...

There are many many trails that explore the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon and this is just one option of a combination of trails that is about 3.5 miles. The Navajo trail begins at Sunset Point and you head straight down dozens of switchbacks to what is called "Wall Street". It doesn't take long to get to the bottom on the canyon. The trail is well traveled and you definitely won't have it to yoursel...

This popular trail follows a portion of the Desolation Trail leaving from Mill Creek Canyon. The trail to the overlook is 4.75 miles round trip with a 1700 ft elevation gain. You begin at the Desolation Trailhead and then turn around once you have a view of the Salt Lake Valley. It is a perfect hike to do in the evening after work because it is so short and very near the city. It is also wonder...

This hike is located in the Grand-Staircase-Escalante Monument and the nearest town is Escalante, Utah. From Escalante, you take Hole-in-the-Rock Road 26 miles to the Dry Fork road turn-off. The Hole-in-the-Rock road It is a dirt road, and while I did see some sedans and minivans, I suggest a vehicle with higher clearance/ 4-wheel drive. If you do not have a high clearance vehicle, it will just...

This is the peak that can be seen from the valley located between Millcreek Canyon and Parleys Canyon. There are 2 trails that head up to this peak, but the one up Millcreek Canyon at the top of Church Fork is by far the more popular/enjoyable one (and the one described here). The other one heads straight up the face of the mountain. It is a fairly straight forward hike and one of the easier p...

This trail is a local favorite because you can make it as hard or as easy as you want it to be! You can stop at the first lake which is only 1 mile from the parkinglot, or you can go to the top of one or more of the 5 peaks that are surrounding the lakes for an added challenge. It is 3.5 miles round trip just to reach all 3 of the lakes without ascending any of the peaks. The elevation gain is ...

This is a great area that the whole family can enjoy. It is located about 15 miles down the hole-in-the-rock road south of Escalante, Utah. There is a sign marking the turn-off. In the parking lot there is a restroom and a picnic area.You're free to walk among the hoodoos and even on them in some places; just be respectful and use your common sense. It is a fairly small area so there really is ...

This out and back hike begins at the same trailhead as White Pine Lake and Red Pine Lake which are both a lot more popular that Maybird Lakes. You follow the trail to Red Pine Lake for the first 2.5 miles and then there is a bridge and you follow that across the river to get on the trail to Maybird.  The trail is steep in places, but overall, the hike is not too difficult. There are some amazi...

The trail starts from the same trailhead as Donut Falls which is extremely popular. In the winter, the gates are closed and you need to park just off the highway. Follow the road and crowds along the trail but once you cross the bridge continue straight ahead instead of following the trail that curves to the left. About 50 feet after leaving the trail, you will intersect with an old mining road...

This relatively easy trail is great for the whole family. There are multiple alternate trails branching off from this route, as well, so you can turn this into a much longer hike if you like. Start on the Hidden Pinyon Trail, which has a well-marked turn-off for Three Ponds Trail. The start of the hike has a small amount of scrambling on sandstone, after which you will wander through the sagebr...

Kodachrome Basin State Park is located about 9 miles south of Cannonville which is on Highway 12 - midway between Bryce Canyon National Park and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. It is slightly out of the way, but well worth the detour.Angel's Palace Trail is an excellent option if you have a limited amount of time on your visit to Kodachrome Basin. It is a quick and easy hike at just 1.5 ...

Goblin Valley Can entertain you for 1 hour or 10. There are no established trails, so you are free to wander around the entire park. There are cliffs to climb, slot canyons to explore and hoodoos to discover. From the parking area, you descend about 100 feet into the valley. Once you are down there, the whole place is fairly flat unless you decide to climb on things.One of my favorite things to...

While the trail to the top is mediocre, the views once you get there are absolutely stunning, making for an amazing hike. The hike begins at the Red Mountain Trailhead, north of Snow Canyon State Park. This trail is very rock and sandy, without much variety in landscape along the way. During the first 0.75 mile or so of the trail there will be fences alongside – eventually, you will cross a ga...

You begin at the Crystal Lake trailhead off of the Mirror Lake Highway. On the way to Island Lake you pass several other lakes including, Crystal Lake and Long Lake. The hike is not too hard but there are several switchbacks at the end to get you up above the ridge where the lake is located. It is a large lake and there is a trail that goes around the entire lake with campsites scattered aroun...